WEBVTT THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS HURT. STEVE: THE FIRE BROKE OUT AROUND 4:00 THIS MORNING, AT THE OAKRIDGE APARTMENTS ON SOUTH 4TH, JUST SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN AMES. STACEY: KCCI'S MARK TAUSCHECK HAS BEEN THERE ALL DAY. MARK, IT SOUNDS LIKE NO ONE MOVING BACK IN ANYTIME SOON? MARK: DEFINITELY NOT. TAKE A LOOK AT THE DAMAGE. ALL 33 UNITS WERE DAMAGED. FIRE ON THE TOP THREE FLOORS AND A LOT OF SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE ON THE BOTTOM FLOOR. THE OWNER TOLD ME THEY'LL LIKELY HAVE TO TEAR DOWN AND START OVER. THIS IS VIDEO SHOT BY RESIDENTS JUST AFTER THEY WERE EVACUAT FROM THEIR APARTMENT THAT TURNED INTO AN INFERNO. 77 PEOPLE LIVE HERE. MANY WERE HOME WHEN THE SMOKE ALARMS STARTED BEEPING. THOSE ON THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS WERE ABLE TO GET OUT ON FOOT, AND WERE TAKEN TO AMES CITY HALL WHERE THE RED CROSS AND STORY COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SET UP THEIR PROCESSING CENTER AND TEMPORARY SHELTER. EVERYTHING WAS SUPER ORANGE, THE -- >> EVERYTHING WAS SUPER ORANGE, THE LEAVES WERE ORANGE, GROUND OUTSIDE WAS ORANGE, YOU COULD SEE THE LIGHT. MARK: THIS MAN SAID IT LOOKED LIKE SUNLIGHT OUTSIDE HIS WINDOW. >> NOTHING BUT SMOKE. WE WALK THROUGH AND TRIED BREATHING AND WE JUST COUGHED, SO WE KEPT LOW. MARK: RUNNING OUT WASN'T AN OPTION FOR MANY ON THE THIRD FLOOR INCLUDING ETHAN BALL AND HIS WIFE. THE BALLS WENT TO THEIR BALCONY. >> WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T GO THIS WAY, SO WE HAVE TO GO THIS WAY, WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS WAY WORK. THERE'S NO OTHER WAY WE'RE GOING TO DO IT. MARK: THANKFULLY, WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, FIRE CREWS HAD A LADDER UP TO THE BALCONY, ONE OF 6 SUCH RESCUES THIS MORNING. DURING THOSE LONG FEW MINUTES, ETHAN HAD TIME TO THINK ABOUT RUNNING BACK IN FOR HIS COMPUTER, SOCIAL SECUTIRY CARDS, HIS WEDDING RING, AND HIS WIFE'S DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING. >> WE'RE STANDING THERE, WAITING FOR THEM TO BRING THE LATTER OVER. I'M LIKE, SHOULD I GET THIS? NO, IT DOESN'T MATTER, LET'S GET DOWN.